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Tutankhamen's 3000-Year Curse
" " is the seventh episode of the Red Jacket series. It first aired on November 14, 1977. Synopsis Lupin boldly steals the solid-gold mask of Tutankhamen but the instant he puts it on, what appears before his eyes is the world of the pharaohs, 3000 years ago. It seems that the mask is cursed and the only way to break the pharaoh's curse is to put the mask back where it came from. Plot In Egypt, Lupin and his gang are planning to steal the three thousand year old gold mask of King Tutankhamen, whose legacy is shrouded in mystery and whispers of an ancient curse. Unsettled and perceiving ill omens, Jigen and Goemon pull out of the operation at the last minute. Nevertheless, Lupin and Fujiko pull off the heist together smoothly. In a moment of ecstatic celebration, Lupin puts the mask on and begins to hear the echoes of music from long ago... The others watch in horror as Lupin begins to dance wildly, tearing off his clothes, deep under the spell of music they cannot hear. Goemon knocks him unconscious and they pull off the mask, but it's too late: Lupin is trapped in a state of wide-eyed paralysis, hallucinating some Egyptologist's own personal hell. They put him to bed, hoping it's nothing he can't sleep off, but minutes later a loud crash is heard from the bedroom and they run in to find both Lupin and the mask gone, a long rope dangling from the window. The next morning confused locals are crowded at the base of a pyramid, on top of which a shadowed figure is standing. Surveying through his binoculars, Jigen confirms that it is Lupin, clad in only a bedsheet and King Tutankhamen's gold mask. Still under its influence, Lupin looks down on an ancient vision of a mass of Egyptian subjects and declares that he is the King, awakened from three thousand years of sleep. The citizens are awed and prostrate themselves before His Magnificence. Just as Goemon and Jigen are discussing what to do, Zenigata turns up, finally having made it to Egypt after almost getting arrested by Israeli airport security under suspicion of being with the JRA. Unimpressed by "King Tut", Zenigata loudly declares his arrest. Suddenly, "King Tut" begins to levitate before the astonished crowd and flies toward it with arms outstretched. This time, however, it is only Fujiko, come to rescue Lupin by means of a transparent kite. "King Tut" is unceremoniously lowered into the waiting arms of his right-hand men. They book it, leaving Zenigata in the sand to nurse his sore arse. Later, thoroughly shaken by Lupin's state, Fujiko pleads Jigen and Goemon to return the mask to the museum. Lupin's condition worsens as the spirit possessing him becomes more excitable, chanting strings of an unknown language through his lips and casting its own shadow on the wall. Fujiko goes in search of sleeping pills only to run right into Zenigata. The Inspector excitedly charges into their hotel room only to the bed empty, blood on the dangling handcuffs. Fujiko deduces that Lupin must have gone to the Valley of the King. It is almost dawn as Jigen and Goemon finish their job, restoring what Lupin and Fujiko removed. Goemon notes with pleasure that the foreboding shadow on his sword has lifted. In the Valley of the King, Fujiko lies passed out face-down with Lupin's name written in the sand. A familiar voice wakes her; she is overcome with joy. Together, they make their way back through the desert, while a certain determined Inspector continues wandering around the royal tombs, following the call of Lupin the Third. Trivia *This episode ranked #12 in the Lupin III Best Selection rerun of favorite episodes, as chosen by Japanese fans. Gallery File:red7_1.png|Lupin is possessed by the spirit of King Tutankhamen. Category:Red Jacket episodes